Countries With the Fastest Decline in Death rate (5-Year Change)
Change in Death rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Central African Republic fell the most: by 20.9, from 30.3 deaths per 1,000 people to 9.38 deaths per 1,000 people in the five years to 2024. Monaco is second (−2.22), followed by Eswatini (−1.64). 95 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −0.464.
- #1
- Central African Republic · −20.9
- Median
- −0.464
- Coverage
- 95 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (deaths per 1,000 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | 30.3 | 9.38 | −20.9 |
| 2 | Monaco | 22.4 | 20.1 | −2.22 |
| 3 | Eswatini | 9.37 | 7.73 | −1.64 |
| 4 | Namibia | 7.72 | 6.18 | −1.55 |
| 5 | Chad | 12.5 | 11.1 | −1.44 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 7.06 | 5.7 | −1.36 |
| 7 | Lesotho | 11.8 | 10.5 | −1.35 |
| 8 | Zambia | 6.48 | 5.17 | −1.32 |
| 9 | Sierra Leone | 9.39 | 8.21 | −1.18 |
| 10 | Mozambique | 8.08 | 6.91 | −1.17 |
| 11 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 10.9 | 9.74 | −1.17 |
| 12 | Cameroon | 8.16 | 7.03 | −1.13 |
| 13 | Yemen, Rep. | 5.86 | 4.73 | −1.13 |
| 14 | Congo, Rep. | 7.34 | 6.24 | −1.1 |
| 15 | Seychelles | 8.1 | 7 | −1.1 |
| 16 | Togo | 9.58 | 8.49 | −1.09 |
| 17 | Nigeria | 12.7 | 11.6 | −1.04 |
| 18 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 9.46 | 8.42 | −1.04 |
| 19 | Malawi | 6.3 | 5.29 | −1.01 |
| 20 | Mali | 9.48 | 8.51 | −0.965 |
| 21 | Guinea | 9.95 | 9.03 | −0.917 |
| 22 | Côte d'Ivoire | 8.49 | 7.61 | −0.885 |
| 23 | Angola | 7.7 | 6.84 | −0.861 |
| 24 | Niger | 9.57 | 8.72 | −0.854 |
| 25 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.86 | 7.01 | −0.854 |
| 26 | Kyrgyz Republic | 5.2 | 4.4 | −0.8 |
| 27 | Zimbabwe | 8.28 | 7.5 | −0.783 |
| 28 | Burundi | 7.39 | 6.67 | −0.724 |
| 29 | Mauritania | 6.12 | 5.41 | −0.701 |
| 30 | Bulgaria | 16.3 | 15.6 | −0.7 |
| 31 | Botswana | 6.41 | 5.74 | −0.67 |
| 32 | Uganda | 5.42 | 4.77 | −0.653 |
| 33 | Burkina Faso | 8.56 | 7.92 | −0.649 |
| 34 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.5 | 7.85 | −0.645 |
| 35 | Benin | 9.34 | 8.71 | −0.625 |
| 36 | Ethiopia | 6.48 | 5.88 | −0.602 |
| 37 | Lithuania | 13.6 | 13 | −0.6 |
| 38 | Romania | 13.4 | 12.8 | −0.6 |
| 39 | São Tomé and Principe | 6.12 | 5.53 | −0.587 |
| 40 | Peru | 6.16 | 5.6 | −0.565 |
| 41 | Gambia, The | 6.81 | 6.25 | −0.558 |
| 42 | Bahamas, The | 9.32 | 8.77 | −0.551 |
| 43 | Comoros | 7.64 | 7.12 | −0.521 |
| 44 | Liberia | 8.51 | 8.02 | −0.497 |
| 45 | Vanuatu | 5.49 | 5.02 | −0.476 |
| 46 | Senegal | 5.98 | 5.51 | −0.474 |
| 47 | Gabon | 6.69 | 6.23 | −0.467 |
| 48 | Solomon Islands | 5.55 | 5.08 | −0.464 |
| 49 | Tanzania | 6.18 | 5.72 | −0.462 |
| 50 | Eritrea | 6.41 | 6 | −0.418 |
| 51 | Lao PDR | 6.6 | 6.19 | −0.412 |
| 52 | Armenia | 8.8 | 8.4 | −0.4 |
| 53 | Greenland | 9.7 | 9.3 | −0.4 |
| 54 | Bolivia | 7.56 | 7.17 | −0.383 |
| 55 | Samoa | 6.53 | 6.16 | −0.369 |
| 56 | Syrian Arab Republic | 5.28 | 4.93 | −0.352 |
| 57 | Ghana | 7.34 | 7.01 | −0.331 |
| 58 | Pakistan | 6.77 | 6.45 | −0.327 |
| 59 | Nicaragua | 4.95 | 4.64 | −0.314 |
| 60 | Djibouti | 7.8 | 7.49 | −0.31 |
| 61 | Luxembourg | 6.9 | 6.6 | −0.3 |
| 62 | Montenegro | 10.5 | 10.2 | −0.3 |
| 63 | Bhutan | 6.35 | 6.07 | −0.285 |
| 64 | Bangladesh | 5.37 | 5.11 | −0.267 |
| 65 | Timor-Leste | 7.48 | 7.22 | −0.258 |
| 66 | Guatemala | 5.12 | 4.86 | −0.257 |
| 67 | Tajikistan | 4.84 | 4.59 | −0.252 |
| 68 | Georgia | 12.1 | 11.8 | −0.245 |
| 69 | Rwanda | 6.13 | 5.9 | −0.237 |
| 70 | Gibraltar | 6.81 | 6.59 | −0.222 |
| 71 | Maldives | 2.58 | 2.36 | −0.215 |
| 72 | Sudan | 6.55 | 6.34 | −0.214 |
| 73 | Kazakhstan | 6.91 | 6.7 | −0.214 |
| 74 | Czechia | 10.5 | 10.3 | −0.2 |
| 75 | Latvia | 14.5 | 14.3 | −0.2 |
| 76 | Iraq | 4.36 | 4.17 | −0.194 |
| 77 | Suriname | 7.03 | 6.84 | −0.193 |
| 78 | Turkmenistan | 5.99 | 5.84 | −0.15 |
| 79 | Kuwait | 1.64 | 1.52 | −0.125 |
| 80 | Kenya | 7.29 | 7.18 | −0.114 |
| 81 | Kiribati | 7.17 | 7.06 | −0.112 |
| 82 | Estonia | 11.6 | 11.5 | −0.1 |
| 83 | Mongolia | 5.6 | 5.5 | −0.1 |
| 84 | Oman | 2 | 1.9 | −0.097 |
| 85 | Moldova | 13.9 | 13.8 | −0.096 |
| 86 | India | 6.67 | 6.59 | −0.083 |
| 87 | Belize | 5.04 | 4.96 | −0.08 |
| 88 | Haiti | 7.88 | 7.8 | −0.072 |
| 89 | Papua New Guinea | 6.62 | 6.55 | −0.07 |
| 90 | Algeria | 4.68 | 4.62 | −0.063 |
| 91 | Nepal | 7.02 | 6.97 | −0.052 |
| 92 | Madagascar | 7.52 | 7.47 | −0.047 |
| 93 | New Caledonia | 6.28 | 6.25 | −0.027 |
| 94 | Guyana | 7.5 | 7.48 | −0.026 |
| 95 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 9.99 | 9.98 | −0.008 |
About the top 10
#1 Central African Republic
Central African Republic ranks #1 on this list with −20.9.
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$556.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).
#2 Monaco
Monaco ranks #2 on this list with −2.22.
- Capital
- Monaco
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 38,341 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$11.13 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$288,000 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 86.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 65+ share · #1 in age dependency ratio (old) · #1 in gdp per capita.
#3 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #3 on this list with −1.64.
- Capital
- Mbabane, Lobamba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.26 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in unemployment rate · #1 in hiv prevalence · #3 in youth unemployment rate.
#4 Namibia
Namibia ranks #4 on this list with −1.55.
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,876 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 50.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in women in ministerial positions share · #2 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#5 Chad
Chad ranks #5 on this list with −1.44.
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 21 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.47 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,022 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 55.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 27.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: N'Djamena.
Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #2 in maternal mortality ratio.
#6 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #6 on this list with −1.36.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 43.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.78 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$416.9 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kabul.
Also ranks #1 in refugee population by origin · #4 in health expenditure share of gdp · #6 in agriculture value added share of gdp.
#7 Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #7 on this list with −1.35.
- Capital
- Maseru
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,089 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.
#8 Zambia
Zambia ranks #8 on this list with −1.32.
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 21.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.88 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,318 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lusaka.
Also ranks #2 in mineral rents share of gdp · #3 in gini index · #4 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#9 Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone ranks #9 on this list with −1.18.
- Capital
- Freetown
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 8.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$7.46 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$846.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in school enrolment (primary) · #7 in under-5 mortality rate · #8 in forest rents share of gdp.
#10 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #10 on this list with −1.17.
- Capital
- Maputo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 35.63 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.34 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$626.9 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.
Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Death rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.DYN.CDRT.IN. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people): World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); Demographic Statistics, Eurostat (ESTAT).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.